Muscular Strength and Incident Hypertension in Normotensive and Prehypertensive Men

MASLOW, A. L., X. SUI, N. COLABIANCHI, J. HUSSEY, and S. N. BLAIR. Muscular Strength and Incident Hypertension in Normotensive and Prehypertensive Men. Med. Sci. Sports Exerc., Vol. 42, No. 2, pp. 288-295, 2010. The protective effects of cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) on hypertension (HTN) are well known: however, the association between muscular strength and incidence of HTN has yet to be examined. Purpose: This study evaluated the strength-HTN association with and without accounting for CRF. Methods: Participants were 4147 men (age = 20-82 yr) in the Aerobics Center Longitudinal Study for whom an age-specific composite muscular strength score was computed from measures of a one-repetition maximal leg and a one-repetition maximal bench press. CRF was quantified by maximal treadmill exercise test time in minutes. Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was used to estimate hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals of incident HTN events according to exposure categories. Results: During a mean follow-up of 19 yr, there were 503 incident HTN cases. Multivariable-adjusted (excluding CRF) HR of HTN in normotensive men comparing middle- and high-strength thirds to the lowest third were not significant at 1.17 and 0.84, respectively. Multivariable-adjusted (excluding CRF) HR of HTN in baseline prehypertensive men comparing middle- and high-strength thirds to the lowest third were significant at 0.73 and 0.72 (P = 0.01 each), respectively. The association between muscular strength and incidence of HTN in baseline prehypertensive men was no longer significant after control for CRF (P = 0.26). Conclusions: The study indicated that middle and high levels of muscular strength were associated with a reduced risk of HTN in prehypertensive men only. However, this relationship was no longer significant after controlling for CRF.